Fix It! Grammar and Editing Made Easy with the Classics, Second Edition

Fix-It! Grammar and Editing with the Classics contains 5 stories for 5 different age groups, each one to be used over the course of a year: an abridged version of Tom Sawyer, two humorous takeoffs on classic fairy tales, an abridged version of Andersen's The Little Mermaid, and an abridged, translated version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Grade levels range from 3rd grade to high school seniors.

From these stories, students rewrite a sentence a day, 4 days/week, correcting as many of the embedded grammatical errors as they can find. They also search for dress-ups and sentence openers. Beneath the incorrect sentences are printed the corrections, and on the right column are listed the explanations of grammar, including the definition for a bolded vocabulary word. The book comes with a CD from which you can print the versions for student use, and reformat if you wish. It also comes with an Appendix which explains most relevant grammar rules and discusses IEW style, especially in relation to teaching grammar.

I've used these stories with students I teach for 2 years now (both my own homeschooled children and students in homeschool co-ops and tutorials) and have been very pleased with the results. The kids have fun with the stories and are eager to find out what happens, which makes learning the grammar more enjoyable. I deliberately challenge the students with some grammar they probably won't know, so I can use the stories as a means of teaching concepts as well as reinforcing what they've already learned.

In addition to the grammar rules in the Appendix, to the right of each passage are the rules for those sentences - so it's all spelled out - plus the vocabulary definition (I figured teachers would be like me and appreciate having the dictionary definition close at hand) and IEW style tools used.

Pamela White
Author

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Question:
I recently purchased Fix-it. As I looked through the
book, I realized that I didn't have a good handle on exactly how to use it.
Do I review or "teach" the skills prior to them working the sentences each
day - or do I let them make as many corrections as they can find and then go
over the ones they missed?

Answer:
Fix-It is designed to teach through repetition, so you don't have to teach the concepts they don't know before beginning. Instead, have them copy the passage and correct as many errors as they can find, as well as looking up the vocabulary word and finding dress-ups and openers, if you want. Then compare what they do to the correct version and discuss/teach what they missed.
The same concepts repeat throughout the story, so they'll hear them over and over again. When you know you've discussed one already, try to guide them to see it for themselves. For instance, if it's another comma splice, ask them to tell you what the main clauses in the sentence are, then ask them what punctuation is joining those main clauses, then remind them that a comma isn't strong enough. Ask them what it needs instead.
The teaching comes as you go rather than in advance. Reassure them that most students don't catch everything and they'll improve as they work at it.

Pamela White, MA
Author, Fix It Grammar